Steam valve



7 Sept. 9, 1958 w. M. CISSELL ET AL 2,851,050

STEAM VALVE 7 Filed Feb. 25, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTORS WILLIAM M. CISSELL AND FRANK H. RICHTERKESSING ATTORNEY P 1958 w. M. clssELL ET AL 2,851,050

STEAM VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23, 1954 S G D WNW TAS LB WLK ER ISE T m MR MH I K N Lmv. w B

ATTORNEY United States Patent STEAM VALVE William M. Cissell and Frank H. Richterkessing, Louisville, Ky., assignors to W. M. ,Cissell Manufacturing Company, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application February 23, 1954, Serial No. 411,844

Claims. (Cl. 137-154) Our invention relates to a valved apparatus for supplying conditioned steam for treating fabric materials, and more particularly an apparatus for converting water of condensation formed in the apparatus into steam in order that steam Without excessive entrained water can be released from the said apparatus for treating fabric materials.

The main object of our invention is to eliminate, or minimize, the accumulation of water of condensation in the conduit connecting the outlet side of a steam valve, so that when the valve is opened, to allow the free passage of steam from the inlet to the outlet of the valve, a relatively dry steam is obtained in the conduit connecting the outlet side of the valve that is substantially free of water particles and thereby more suitable for treating fabrics and garments.

A further object of. our invention is to provide a heated chamber on the outlet side of the valve that will separate and collect water particles from the steam and convert the collected water particles into steam and allow the latter to pass freely into the conduit connected to the discharge side of the valve.

A still further object of our invention is to constructthe valved apparatus so that the chamber at the outlet side of the valve, which separates the water particles from the steam received therein, and collects the Water of condensation from the conduit connecting the discharge side of the valved apparatus, is heated and liquid in the chamber is evaporated by the steam present at the inlet side of the valve.

A still further object of our invention is to provide the valved apparatus with a main steam chamber suitably connected to steam supply and return lines, in which the valve is mounted uponthe main chamber and adapted to control the flow of steam from the main chamber to a conduit connecting the discharge side of the valve, and wherein the valve body is provided with a water collecting chamber on the discharge side thereof, the walls of which extend down into the main steam chamber so that the walls of the said water collecting chamber are continuously heated by the steam present in the main chamber, to convert the collected water into steam.

The invention has other objects which are more particularly pointed out in the accompanying description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus for receiving steam from a central supply and dispensing it to an electric steam pressing iron, or other apparatus, through a control valve in which is embodied the invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of a preferred piping system for delivering steam to the steam valve and to the steam return line.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the valve body and associated parts taken along line 33 of Fig. 5.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the delivery conduit 43, shown in sectional view in Fig. 3.

2,85lfi5d Patented Sept. 9, 1958 Figure 5 is a top view of the main or central valve body 14.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the valve body at right angles to that shown in Fig. 3 and along line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring first to Fig. l, the steam chest 10 is equipped with a flange 11 for permanent installation on a pressing table or ironing board. At the top of the steam chest 10 is an integral flange 12 to which is secured by bolts 13 (only one of two being illustrated), a dome-shaped main valve body 14. The main valve body 14 is equipped with two ears 1'6, 16'- (Figures 5 and 6), having two holes 13-15 for receiving said bolts.

The body 14 is formed with a bridge 17 having: (1) a chamber 18, hereinafter sometimes referred to as a dispensing chamber, with walls 19A projecting externally of the body, and walls 19 projecting into the steam chest 10; (2) a valve seat 20 for receiving and seating the rounded end 21 of a threaded valve stem 22 that screws into said bridge and is rotatably mounted in packing gland 23 that is also screwed into said bridge; (3) steam ducts 24, 25 that are opened and closed, and/ or throttled by the valve stem 22 and rounded end 21; (4) a replaceable inlet valve-seat 26 having a duct 27 communicating with the duct 24. It should be noted (Fig. 6 that passages 28, 28 allow steam to pass around the bridge 17 and into the main chamber cavity 29 of the valve body 14, so that it can be fed into steam duct 27. The top aperture of the steam duct 27 functions as a valve seat 30 for a valve plunger 31. Into the top opening 32 of the body 14 is screwed a non-magnetic chamber 33 (closed at the top end but not shown), for supporting a solenoid (not shown) which, when ener gized, raises a magnetic plunger 34; The plunger 34 has a recess 35 for receiving head 36 of the valve plunger 31 in order to operate the latter at the will of an operator by means of an electrical push-button switch 38 (Fig. 1) which is connected to a source of electrical power and to the solenoid through wires in the conduit 39. Switch 40, mounted in a housing 41', is provided as a master control for the electrical power supplied to the pressing iron and to the solenoid. Since the electrical equipment of the pressing iron and the magnetically operated valve parts follow conventional practice, further illustration and explanation have been omitted for brevity.

Into the top of the external walls 19A of chamber 18 is screwed a sleeve 42 having a head 42A, for a wrench, and a bore fixedly receiving a tube 43. Onto the outer end of the tube 43 is attached a rubberized hose 44 elevated as shown in Fig. 1 for conducting steam from the valve to the pressing iron, after it has been conditioned within the valve according to the incident invention. The tube 43 is cross drilled at 42B to allow the passage of conditioned steam into the tube 43 and thence to the hose 44, especially when condensate within the chamber 18 blocks the lower end of tube 43.

The valve stem 22 is operated by a hand wheel 45, either to shut off the flow of steam through ducts 24, 25, or to throttle the flow of steam to that required by the steam-iron, or other apparatus. When the solenoid (not illustrated) is energized, the magnetic plunger 34 raises valve plunger 31. Steam flowing from the main steam chest 10 around the bridge 17 via passages 2823 into the main valve chamber 29, passes through ducts 27, 24

and 25 to chamber 18, then through tube 43 to the hose Condensate in the steam passing into chamber 18 from duct 25 separates and collects in the bottom of chamber 18. Likewise, at the beginning of each period of the operations the elevated cold hose 44 condenses a portion of the steam therein, and the resultant condensate drains by gravity, through tube 43, into the bottom of chamber 18. The live steam constantly surrounding the internal wall of chamber 18, the bridge 17, and the walls of the main valve chamber 19, maintain the parts sufficiently hot to evaporate the water of condensation collected in the lower part of chamber 18. Since condensate collected in the bottom of chamber 18 could inter fere with the flow of relatively dry steam into the steam hose 44, at least until evaporated, the series of holes 42B in tube 43 provide a free outlet for the steam from the chamber 18. Obviously, without these holes, condensate could be forced into the hose, and thence into the ducts of the pressing iron in excess of its capacity to evaporate, and thereby flood the pressing iron with water of condensation and render it incompetent to accomplish the objectives sought. Obviously, since the holes 42B are relatively small, compared to the bore of tube 43, condensate draining from the hose 44 falls rapidly over these holes and continues in the tube to the bottom of the chamber 18. Likewise, it is ovvious that, after the hose 44 or other conduit connecting the outlet of the valve to the apparatus becomes sufiiciently heated by steam either continuously or intermittently flowing from the valve, the condensing of steam within the hose 44, either ceases or reduces to such a minimum that the chamber 18 is required only to evaporate the condensate separating from the steam as it enters the chamber 18 from the duct 25.

To support the hose 44 and wires 39, as shown in Figure 1, a coil spring 46 is secured at the lower end thereof to a suitable fiange carried by the chest 10, while the extended upper end 47 thereof embraces said wires and hose.

In summary: This invention, as embodied in the disclosed apparatus, may be viewed as employing some features of a conventional steam trap and of a steam generator for collecting and converting condensate, developed in a service line, into steam and conserved for use by maintaining the device at or above 212 F. by steam from the same line and delivering the evaporated condensate into the said line continuously for treating fabric materials.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In combination with a steam pressing iron, means for supplying steam substantially free of liquid to said iron and including a steam chest, a steam dispensing chamber mounted in the upper portion of said steam chest and having a closed lower end for trapping condensate, and an upper end in communication with said iron, said closed lower end of said chamber being in heat exchange relation with steam in said chest whereby condensate collecting in said lower end may be evaporated and pass as steam from the upper end of said chamber, a valve body attached to said steam chest, a steam passage through said valve body connecting said steam chest with said dispensing chamber above the lower end of said chamber, and valve means for controlling the flow of steam through said passage.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a downwardly extending tube disposed within said chamber in spaced relation to the walls thereof and serving to direct condensate toward the closed lower end of said chamber and means for passing steam into said tube above the lower end thereof whereby said steam may pass outwardly of said chamber while out of entraining contact with condensate collected in said chamber.

3. For use with a steam pressing iron, a steam valve assembly comprising a steam chest, a valve body attached to said steam chest and having a non-horizontal steam dispensing chamber formed of a heat conductive material and closed at its lower end to form a condensate trap at said lower end, and means for directing steam from the upper end of said chamber to said iron, said condensate trap being disposed in heat exchange relation within said steam chest with the steam therein, whereby said steam serves to heat condensate in said dispensing chamber and to evaporate the same, a steam passage through said valve body connecting said steam chest and said dispensing chamber above the lower end thereof, and valve means for controlling the How of steam through said passage.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the lower end of said dispensing chamber is disposed in the upper portion of said steam chest and is adapted to be sur rounded by steam contained therein,

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said valve body and steam dispensing chamber are integral and formed of a heat conductive material whereby condensation of steam within said body and chamber may be minimized.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,060,345 Lindsey Apr. 29, 1913 1,958,876 Wright May 15, 1934 2,205,241 Clark June 18, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 297,608 Germany May 3, 1917 

